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How to Search Japanese Patents for Navigation System or GPS

Searching Japanese patent and non-patent literatures in the field of navigation system may be difficult for other search firms, but this is the area we have experience and expertise.

An automotive navigation system is a satellite navigation device designed for use in automobiles. A navigation system or car navigator today typically uses a GPS navigation device to acquire position data to locate the user (the car) on a road in the unit's map database. With the road database provided, the unit can give directions and information to other locations along roads.

Japan is the leading country in navigation system development and has filed about 6000 patent documents annually that contain the word of "navigation system" (please refer to the table below). A Japanese company named Alpine claims it has created the first automotive navigation system in 1981. This system is an analog automotive navigation product called the Electro Gyrocator co-developed with Honda and had been used Honda Accord in 1981.

Other Japanese companies that have filed patents for navigation systems include Nissan, Mitsubishi Electric, Pioneer, Aishin AW, Panasonic. Denso, Fujitsuden, Sanyo Denki, Clarion, Hitachi, Sony, Kenwood, etc.

Searching Japanese patent for navigation system or GPS is a challenging task because there are so many Japanese patents filed in this area. Because of the huge number of patent documents about this technology, we recommend to use F-term, one of the Japan Patent Office unique patent classification systems.

F-term about navigation system we recommend to use in Japanese patent search:
2F129 x (AA03 + BB03 + BB20 + BB21 + BB26 + CC16 + DD21 + EE02 + EE26 + EE35 + EE39 + EE52 + EE75 + EE85 + HH12 + HH19 + HH20)

Because a patent examiner may miss-classify a patent application, in addition to the F-term patent search, we suggest to combination of full text search and broad classification search such as IPC or FI (another unique Japan Patent Office classification system). Examples of the IPC and FI for navigation system search are provided below for reference.

IPC:
(G01C21/00 + G09B29/00 + G09B29/10)

FI:
(G01C21/00@G + G01C21/00@H + G09B29/00@A + G09B29/10@A)

Table 1. Number of Japanese Patent Documents Containing the Word "Navigation System"
Vs. Year of Publication

Year	Number of Hits
2010	6538
2009	7520
2008	6994
2007	7275
2006	6638
2005	5880
2004	5270
2003	4441
2002	4530
2001	3403
2000	2690
1999	2444
1998	2095
1997	1738
1996	1360
1995	937
1994	670
1993	576

"Note: Full text search using Japanese synonym of "navigation system or navigator".